Just this week I’ve been around Manchester quite a bit working on a few various things and in particular in Didsbury and also doing a spot of training just outside the Virgin Active gym in Parrs Wood, East Didsbury. Along the way I’ve been approached or made approaches to people and discovered an inconvenient truth…
Some people are already becoming less motivated about what they are trying to achieve in 2010, and we’re only about 8% of the way through the year!
What they wanted to change is not happening either because they’re just not too sure what the true cost is or they just wanted it to happen miracously without paying that cost!
What seemed important isn’t as important now or at least that’s what they’re telling themselves. When digging deeper, its more because of their huge confidence and faith in not achieving what they want because it’s too hard.
If they do know what the cost is such as training with resistance, eating healthy and performing metabolic routines, then the effort to do these things doesn’t quite make that goal as appealing…..at least not until just before summer when they will want another miracle to happen or same time next year just before 2011 when they yet again promise that this year “will be diffferent”.
Another one I’ve heard is that “something has come up” and I’ll get back on it next month or soon as I can. While there can be life changing events that we all have to deal with I’m talking about the ones that could be considered barriers but not ones that could not be resolved; but instead they choose to use the same excuses that were probably there last year and the year before rather than identify whether there is a solution that fits their time restraints, motivation and current levels of knowledge on all subjects related to their health, fitness and well-being.
Now I’m not saying all this to tell you, “I told you so”. If this does in some way reflect whats happened so far this year and you can relate to any of the above situations, then I’m here to help and tell you that there’s a better way that improves yourchances of success by at least 500%.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about why resolutions, wish lists and SMART goals just don’t do you any justice and I’ll share with you what I go through with personal training clients and bootcamp members.
And initially its as simple as 4 steps. While there are more developed programs I’ll use, this is as effective as anything else I’ve done and easy to maintain as well.
The 4 steps are…
1 - Know what you want
2 - Know why you want it
3 - Know what the cost is to you
4 - Pay that cost
1 - Know WHAT you want
Be SPECIFIC, Know EXACTLY what you want to achieve.
If you don’t know EXACTLY what you want to achieve, how will you know whether you have achieved it or not. And if you have something to aim for, you are more like to go after it because it has DIRECTION, there is a VISUAL aim.
Give it a time also.
A goal is SPECIFIC and EXCITING and has a DEADLINE that means you have a TARGET to aim for. Vague goals on the other hand have left you with allowances for making excuses that get you no where and before you know it, it will be summer when you wanted to be in fabulous shape or the end of the year where you’re left scratching your head wondering where the time went and what went wrong.
2 - Know WHY you want it
Think about your above goal and why you want it.
I don’t mean becasue you want to look better or feel better about yourself.
Be prepared to dig deeper and find the true emotion around it and what is honestly driving you.
Is there vanity involved? Is it emotional to you such as you want to feel pretty or you want a better relationship? Be prepared to peel and peel away until you find what truly inspires you and is far more powerful than I just want to look better and feel pretty good about myself.
If you’re not being truly honest about why the goal is important by continuing to ask yourself WHY at each answer, then you’re not finding the true reason. If you can’t explain it, then expect to fail!
3 - Know The Cost
This is the part that most people fail on. I’m sure you’re aware of what you should and should not be doing. The mistake is not reaffirming it as part of your goals. This is pretty powerful stuff when it comes to making lots and lots of good decisions on a daily basis both big and small. Other wise it is pretty easy to convince yourself that “I’ll start again on Monday” or “I had a hard day at work”.
What is the cost?
It may be financial? Coaching, better foods (though that isn’t always more expensive if you’re saving on excessive amounts of bad foods and drink), good supplements.
It may be time? The exercise you do and the meals you prepare, the education you undergo.
Or it may be the sacrifices you are going to have to make. Putting in EXTRA effort when you workout, not drinking alcohol or eating crisps.
Whatever it is, be honest enough to appreciate what you have to change. At the very least you can then decide whether the cost is worth taking for that goal which was so important to you a few minutes ago.
To some respect its what analysts would call a cost-benefit analysis and then deciding if all the benefits outweight the costs to get there.
4 - Pay The Cost
The goal has been written, you have a truly powerful reason why you want to achieve it and you fully understand what it will take to get there.
Now YOU DO IT!
That’s right, from now on you start to pay the price.
This isn’t a one off. To get to your BIG EXCITING goal is to take little bits of ACTION EVERY DAY as defined by your costs
and continue to pay the price until you have achieved that goal!
If you write down all these 4 steps into a series of paragraphs that you can read 2-3 times a day and reaffirm them all, then your chances of succeeding go up massively. Infact, using the word chance makes it sound like a gamble. If you set out your 4 step goal achievement action plan and stay with it each day you are infact NOT leaving it to chance and the targets you have set are there for the taking!
I really hope you at least try this as laid out in as much detail as I can without making it war and peace. I use this same system on myself in various parts of my life with great success so I urge you to do the same.
Next I’ll be adding some little hints and tips on how to make them even more powerful.
Good luck in making 2010 your year!
Mike
